Means for controlling dangerous gases in submarines and other craft.



M- C R MEANS FOR CONTROLLING DANGEROUS GASES IN SUBMARINES AND. OTHERCRAFT. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10, I916.

15198,,419. Pate tedse u;19,1916.

N N. @fi L I i I N N N g N UNITED? srarns r i JOHN M. oLARx, or WHITES-TONE, NEW YORK.

MEANS FOR coN'rnoL'LriiG DANGEROUS easns IN SUBMARINES AND OTHER onarr.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patgnitedi S 159 191(;

Application filed March 10, 1916. Serial No. 83,443.

ToaZZ whom it may concern: 7

Be itknown that 1, JOHN M. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vhitestone, Queens county, New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Means for Controlling Dangerous Gases in Submarines and other Craft, of which the following. is a Specification.

My invention relates to means for controlling dangerous gases in submarines and other craft, a principal object being to provide suitable apparatusto effectively har-' ness or confine such gases emanating from the lead and alkali battery cells now in general use in submarine power equipment, which under present conditions, are. allowed to escape and'mingle'with the air of the battery room and other compartments, result ing at times in internal explosions and also militate against long submergence, in that the breathing air becomes so vitiated as to seriously ali'ect the operating crew,/ and it is the object of'my invention to prevent these internal explosions and to keep the air in the'various' compartments of a submarine or other craftfree from all noxious, dangerous and harmful gasesfi The invention contemplates means for confining the above described gases and conveying them to a suitable storage receptacle while the submarine is submerged,

- valve 21.

from which receptacle the said gases may bedrawn' or expelled for use as'engine fuel or be allowed to escape outboard when the craft is at the surface. p

The drawing shows diagrammatically one arrangement" of apparatus whereby the desired result may be obtained to carry out my invention, and in which the battery room of a submarine or other craft is designated by the numeral 10, the battery cells areshownat 11, which are provided with the usual gas checks 12, having gas tight connection a manifold 14, leading out of the battery room into a gas reservoir 15, connected by pipe 16, to a rotary or otherpump 17,- whose outlet communicatesby pipe 18, with a gas storage'tank19, said pipe '18, be'ing provided with a check valve 20, and a stop An'exhaust pump 22, is connected with the storage tank 19, to remove all air there to convey the stored from before the hydrogen or other ous gases are allowed to enter.

' An outlet connection, as t 23, is provided gas either to the explos on chamber of an internal combustion eng ne as fuel. or the stored gas may be 'expelled outboard into the air through a suit able'outlet when the submarine is at the water surface;

I also provide a valve 25, positionedin a branchpipe 26, connectingthe battery room 10, with the manifold extension 27, through which valve,"chlorin or other gases generated or confined in the said battery roommay be drawn or delivered to the manifold extension and conveyed, together with the gases emanating from the battery cells, along to the gas storage tank 19, by the ac-- tion of the pump 17, as will be readily understood. 4

From the foregoing description, it will be seen a direct pipe line is established between the gas outlets of the battery cells" 11, and the gas storage tank 19, through which the dangerous, noxious gases generated in the said cells is conveyed throughjthe instrumentality of the pump 17 thereby eliminat ing any possibility of contaminating or otherwise affecting the breathing air of the: battery room or other compartment Of' l3h8' submarine or other craft.

In the operation of the apparatus a par tial vacuum is constantly maintained in the manifold 14, reservoir 15, and pipe 16, whiclnreservoir 15, serves to'arrest pump pulsations, so that they do not reach the battery cells.

1. In an apparatus of theclass described, in combination with the usual battery cells,

dangera manifold having flexible piped connec- '-through.the battery room wall, a reservoir connected with the manifold, a valved branch pipe connecting the manifold with the interior of the battery room, to convey injurious gases therefrom, a storage tank having an airexhausting pump connected therewith, and having piped connection with the. reservoir. and anotl er pump in the last named connection adapted to maintain a partial vacuum in the manifold for the purpose specified.

manifold having a Valve and comrnunicat- 5 ing Withthe interior of the battery room to convey dangerousgases therefrom, a 'storage tan a pump connected to the manifold tomaintain a partial vacuum therein, and

a reservoir placed between the pump and manifold to prevent the pump pulsations 1| from reaching the batterycells as described,

In testimony whereof, I JOHN M. CLARK have signed my name to this specification, this 6th day of March, 1916.

JOHN M. CLARK.

Copies of this patient may b1: obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Goinmissioner ,0! rmm, Washington, D. G. 1 

